Strip-guide for sewing machines



Nov. 10, 1936.

w. MYERS STRIP GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Aug. 4, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 www Nov. 10, 1936. w.' MYERS STRIP GUIDE FOR SEWING MACH INES Filed Aug. 4, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 10, 1936. w. MYERS STRIP GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Aug. 4, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 @Hoz/wall',

Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth,

N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 4, 1934, Serial No. 738,487

11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in strip or tape guiding devices for sewing machines and has for its primary object to provide improved means for directing a strip, either folded or unfolded, to the stitch-forming mechanism of a feed-off-arm sewing machine, without interfering with the convenient handling of work to which said strip is to be stitched, and without obstructing the operators view of the work.

A further object of the invention is to provide strip-guiding means of a simple character for automatically delivering a plurality of strips, in superposed relation and drawn from supply reels, to the stitch-forming mechanism of a sewing machine.

With the above and other more specific objects in view, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a front side elevation of a feed-oif-arm sewing machine and of the improved strip-guiding means applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine and the strip-guiding means. Fig. 3 represents a cross-section of the work-arm stripcovering plate and substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a cross-section, substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, of the stripguiding means applied to the work-arm carrierarm. Fig. 5 represents a cross-section of the strip-supply reels. Fig. 6 is an end view of the strip-inverting portion of the strip-guide, the work-arm being shown in section. Fig. 7 represents a vertical section of the strip-inverting end of the strip-guide. Fig. 8 is a side view of a portion of the belt-guard cover-plate, from the strip-reel side thereof and with the strip-reel bracket shown partly in section.

As herein described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the improved stripguiding means is applied to a feed-off-arm sewing machine such as shown and described in my prior patent application Serial No. 627,409, led Aug. 4, 1932.

The sewing machine shown in the drawings has a frame comprising a supporting bed I provided with a forwardly extending arm 2, which carries a laterally extending hollow arm 3 which, in turn, carries the rearwardly extending and hollow work-arm 4. The arms 2, 3 and 4 are substantially coplanar or at the same level, thereby forming a U-bed. Rising from the base I is the standard 5 of the gooseneck or bracket-arm 6 terminating in the head 'I which overhangs the free end of the work-arm 4. A belt-guard or housing 8, having a detachable side cover-plate 9, extends in a downwardly inclined direction from the bracket-arm 6 to the end of the workarm carrier 3 at the juncture of said arm 3 with the forwardly extending arm 2.

Reference may be made to said prior patent application Serial No. 627,409, for a detailed disclosure of the stitch-forming and work-feeding mechanisms of the present machine. In general, the needle-bar I0, which is journaled for vertical4 reciprocation in the bracket-arm head 'I, carries a pair of needles I I cooperating, in the formation of stitches, with suitable loop-takers (not shown) housed within and near the free end of the workarm 4, while the work is advanced lengthwise of and toward the free end of the work-arm 4 by a feed-dog I2 operating through a suitably slotted throat-plate I3 disposed upon and adjacent the free end of said work-arm.

Referring now more particularly to the present invention, a primary strip-guide comprises a trough or substantially U-shaped sheet-metal plate providing spaced front and back members or walls I4 and I5, of which the back wall I5 is preferably slightly higher than the front wall I4. The primary strip-guide I4, I5 is disposed directly in front and extends lengthwise of the carrier-arm 3 of the work-arm, so as to be disposed between the upper and lower planes of said carrier-arm 3. This disposition of the primary strip-guide leaves the space between the arms 2, 3 and 4 clear for manipulation of the work. At the belt-guard end of said carrierarm 3, the back-wall I5 of the primary stripguide is bent rearwardly to provide a strip-guide supporting arm I6 secured by a screw I'I upon theA belt-guard cover-plate 9. One end I4" of the front wall I4 of the primary strip-guide terminates substantially at the bent portion of the rear wall I5 providing the supporting arm I6,

i. e., said end I4 of the front wall terminates substantially in the vertical plane of the outer face of the cover-plate 9.

Adjacent the front end of the work-arm 4, the walls I4 and I5 of the primary strip-guide are bent rearwardly, about a line obliqueto the length of said walls and while maintaining substantially the spaced parallelism of the walls, and thence vertically upwardly into substantial parallelism with the front wall of the work-arm,

thereby providing inclined strip-inverting surfaces I8 and I9 terminating in upwardly extending and spaced walls I4' and I5. The upwardly extending portion I4' of the primary strip-guide wall, which wall is now the rear wall of said strip-guide, terminates slightly short of the upper front and suitably beveled edge 4' of the workarm 4, and has a supporting arm 20 which is suitably slotted to receive a securing screw 2| threaded into the front end wall of the work-arm 4. At its bend I8, the strip-guide wall I4 is preferably provided with a slot 22 to provide for access to the strip during insertion into the stripguide. The upwardly extending portion I5 of the wall I5 is provided with a transverse stripemergence slot 23 and terminates in a rounded upper end 24 at substantially the same height as the upper face of the work-arm 4, said rounded end 24 being ldisposed between upstanding stripedge guiding ears 25 of the wall I5.

Disposed at intervals between the primary strip-guiding walls I4 and I5, along the carrierarxn 3 portion thereof, are a plurality of spaced and substantially U-shaped guide-loops 2G constituting secondary strip-guiding means. These guide-loops are carried by one of the walls I4, I5, being preferably secured, as by solder, to the inner face of the wider or rear wall I5 of the primary strip-guide. The closed bottoms of the several guide-loops are equally spaced vertically from the closed bottom of the U-shaped primary strip-guide, while the open upper ends of said guide-loops preferably extend above the upper edge of the wall I4.

Strips A and B of suitable material are supplied to the described strip-guides from reels supported by a bracket 21 secured by screws 28 upon the belt-guard cover-plate 9, and preferably in a position such that the reels are disposed above the plane of the lower face of the machine frame, whereby said reels do not interfere with the mounting of the sewing machine upon a supporting table.

Rising from the bracket 2l is a reel post 29 having a portion of its length reduced in diameter to provide a shoulder 30. Secured upon the post 29, below the shoulder 30, is a collar 3| supporting the hub 32 of a roll-supporting sheetmetal disk 33, suitably apertured to receive the post and rotatable thereupon. A roll B1 of the strip-material B is placed upon the post 29 and is disposed between the disk 33 and a roll-covering disk 34 having its apertured hub 35 preferably also disposed below the post shoulder 30.

Supported by the post-shoulder 3D, in vertically spaced relation to the disk-hub 35 is the apertured hub 36 of the lower disk 31 of another reel for the supply roll A1 of strip material A. Overlying the supply roll Al is a cover-disk 38 having an apertured hub 39. The cover-disk 38 is yieldingly pressed against the roll A1 by a spring 40, coiled about the post 29 and interposed between the disk-hub 39 and a collar 4I adjustably secured upon the post, thereby tensioning the strip A.

The strip A, which may have its longitudinal margins folded to serve as a covering strip, is led from the supply roll A1 and may be inserted edgewise into the primary strip-guide I4, I5 so as to be disposed edgewise vertically and in front of the auxiliary guide-loops 26. The strip-material B, which is narrower than the strip A, is led from its supply roll B1 and may be inserted edge wise into the vertical guide-loops 26, whereby the strip B is supported with its lower longitudinal 'edge above the lower edge of the strip A and its upper edge below the upper edge of said strip A.

Disposed adjacent to the strip-receiving end of the strip-guides is a strip-confining guide 42 having its shank pivotally secured to the belt-guard cover-plate 9 by the screw I'I, said guide 42 being held in position by a friction washer 43. The member 42 is provided with suitably dimensioned slots 44 and 44' to receive the respective strips, said slots being open at the lower edge of the member 42 and having their closed ends opposed to the open sides of the U-shaped strip-guides I4, I5 and 25.

The strips A and B are together inverted between the guide-bends I8 and I9 and are directed toward the upper face of the work-arm 4 by the walls I4', I5 which extend upwardly in a direction substantially normal to the strip-guide passage lengthwise of the carrier-arm 3. The strip A emerges from the strip-guide between the rounded end 24 of the wall I5 and the beveled edge 4 of the work-arm 4, while the strip B passes out of the strip-guide through the slot 23 in the wall I5 and thence over the rounded end 24 of said wall, said strip B being confined against lateral movement by the guide-ears 25. It will be observed that the covering strip A is now disposed underneath the narrower stiifening or lining strip B and that the strip A extends widthwise substantially equal distances beyond the longitudinal margins of strip B. The strips A and B pass lengthwise of the upper face of the workarm 4 to the stitch-forming mechanism at the free end of said work-arm, said strips being preferably further guided directly in front of the needles by suitable means, as for instance by suitable slots in the throat-plate I 3.

In order to provide for manipulating work to which the strips are to be secured, without disarrangement of said strips, the work-arm 4 is provided with a strip-covering plate 45 supported at one side of the strips by a spacing-block 46 and secured by screws 4T upon the upper face of the work-arm. This arrangement provides for convenient insertion of the strips laterally under the covering plate 45.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:-

1. The combination with a feed-off-arm sewing machine having a frame including a suspended work-arm free at one end thereof and a workarm carrier-arm substantially coplanar with the Work-arm, and stitch-forming mechanism at the free end of said work-arm, of a strip-guide extending lengthwise and disposed between the upper and lower faces of said carrier-arm, and means for directing a strip passed through said strip-guide upon the upper face of said Workarm.

2. The combination with a feed-off-arm sewing machine having a frame including a horizontally disposed suspended work-arm free at one end thereof and a work-arm carrier-arm substantially coplanar with the work-arm, and stitch-forming mechanism at the free end of said work-arm, of a widthwise vertically disposed U-shaped stripguide extending horizontally lengthwise of said carrier-arm, said strip-guide being bent intermediate its ends about a line oblique to the length of the strip-guide and terminating in vertically disposed strip-guiding walls for directing a strip upon said work-arm.

3; The combination with a feed-off-arm sewing machine having a fram'e including a suspended work-arm free at one end thereof and a carrierarm connected to said work-arm, and stitchforming mechanism at the free end of said workarm, of a strip-guide disposed at the side of said carrier-arm opposite to the work-arm free end side thereof for directing a strip of material to the work-arm.

4. The combination with a feed-off-arm sewing machine having a frame including a suspended work-arm free at one end thereof and a carrierarm connected to said work-arm, and stitchform'ing mechanism at the free end of said workarm, of a strip-guide disposed at the end of said Work-arm opposite to the free end thereof and below the upper face of the work-arm for directing a strip of material upwardly and upon the work-arm.

5. In a feed-ofE-arm sewing machine, a suspended work-arm free at one end thereof and having a work-supporting face, stitch-forming mechanism at the free end of said arm, a stripguide disposed to direct a strip of material flatwise upon the work-arm for delivery of the strip lengthwise along the work-arm to said stitchforming mechanism, and a covering plate disposed upon the work-arm to extend widthwise across and completely overhang a strip delivered upon said work-arm by said strip-guide, said covering plate being spaced from the work-supporting face of the work-arm lengthwise along one side edge of said plate and secured against said work-supporting face lengthwise along the opposite side edge thereof.

6. A feed-off-arm sewing machine having a work-arm free at one end thereof, stitch-forming mechanism at the free end of said Work-arm, and strip-guides disposed to deliver strips of unequal widths in superposed relation upon said workarm at a point remote from the free end thereof, said strip-guides being relatively arranged to deliver the narrower strip ilatwise upon and centrally of the wider strip.

'7. In a sewing machine, a work-support, stitchforming and work-feeding mechanisms, a plurality of strip-supply reels, a primary U-shaped strip-guide disposed widthwise vertically and eX- tending lengthwise between one of said stripsupply reels and said work-support, and a secondary U-shaped strip-guide disposed adjacent to and in parallelism with said primary strip-guide to direct a strip from the other strip-supply reel for delivery to said work-support in superposed relation to the strip directed by said primary strip-guide, said primary strip-guide having its bottom wall disposed below the bottom wall of said secondary strip-guide.

8. In a sewing machine, a work-support, stitchforming and work-feeding mechanisms, means for directing a plurality of strips of material to said work-support comprising upwardly open primary and secondary U-shaped strip-guides disposed widthwise vertically, the secondary stripguide being disposed within and having its bottom wall spaced vertically from the bottom wall of the primary strip-guide.

9. A strip-guiding device for sewing machines comprising, a primary U-shaped strip-guide, and a secondary U-shaped strip-guide disposed within said primary strip-guide and having its bottom wall adjacent to and spaced from the bottom wall of the primary strip-guide, one of the side Walls of said secondary strip-guide being spaced from the adjacent side wall of said primary stripguide.

10. A strip-guiding device for sewing machines comprising, a primary U-shaped strip-guide, and a plurality of secondary U-shaped strip-guiding loops disposed within and spaced from each other longitudinally of said primary strip-guide, said loops having the bottom walls thereof spaced from and disposed substantially parallel to the bottom wall of said primary strip-guide and the side walls of said loops extending from the bottom wall in the direction of extension of the side walls of the primary strip-guide from its bottom wall, one of the side walls of each of said loops being connected to one of the side walls of the primary strip-guide and the other side walls of said primary strip-guide and loops being spaced from each other.

ll. A strip-guiding device for sewing machines comprising a primary strip-guide having spaced side walls and bent between its ends about a line oblique to the length of said strip-guide to provide an open end strip-delivery portion extending in a direction substantially normal to the length of said primary strip-guide, one of the side walls of said strip-delivery portion having a transverse strip-emergence slot in advance of the end of said side wall, and a secondary strip-guide disposed within said primary strip-guide.

WALTER MYERS. 

